Where does “pointwork” come from?

pointwork (English) comes from English point, from Middle English point, from Old French point, from Latin pūnctum, from Latin punctus, from Latin -tus, from Proto-Italic -tus, from Proto-Indo-European -tus — Derives action nouns from verb roots.

pointwork (English): The engineering of sets of points on a railway,...

Definitions

  1. The engineering of sets of points on a railway,...

Ancestry of “pointwork”, step by step

pointwork traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English point

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpointA discrete division of something; A sharp...
2Middle Englishpoint
3Old Frenchpointa sting; a prick; moment; time; dot
4Latinpūnctumpoint
5Latinpunctuspricked, punctured, pierced, having been pricked;...
6Latin-tusForms the past participle of verbs; Forms...
7Proto-Italic-tus
8Proto-Indo-European-tusDerives action nouns from verb roots

via English work

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishwork"Employment."; "Effort."; Sustained effort to...
2Middle Englishwerkwork
3Old Englishweorcwork, in various senses, including
4Proto-West Germanicwerkwork
5Proto-Germanicwerkąwork
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwérǵomwork
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwerǵ-to make
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tusEvery word from Latin -tusEvery word from Latin punctus
pointwork — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer